Stack closure assembly for melting furnaces



April 6, 1954 A. ARUTUNOFF STACK CLOSURE ASSEMBLY FOR MELTING FURNACES Filed June 16, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 lifim 92 a INVENTOR. Jflrmazlsflrhzu 7a 0 Patented Apr. 6, 1954 STACK CLOSURE ASSEMBLY FOR MELTING FURNACES Armais Arutunofl", Bartle ed um m a poration of Delaware sville, Okla assignor to Bartlcsville, Okla; a cor- Application June 16, 1952, Serial No. 293,729 9 Claims. (01. 263- 46) My invention consists in new and useful improvements in a stack closure assembly for melting furnaces, particularly stack-loaded, directfired furnaces of the oscillatory type such as described in my co-pendin application, Serial No. 221,699, filed April 18, 1951, now Patent No. 2,662,764, granted December 15, 1953. Furnaces of this class are designed for continuous operation and are provided at one end of the box or furnace proper with a verticallyeextended stack which, in addition to its normal function as a chimney or flue, serves as a loadin conduit for charging metal ingots to the furnace.

These loading stacks communicate directly at their lower ends with the refractory lined interior or melting zone in the'furnace and are themselves lined with refractory brick. Their upper ends are usually closed by a lid or slab which is provided with a restricted opening of sumcient area to normally discharge the flue gases from the furnace. However, this lid must be periodically removed when the stack is being charged with ingots and this becomes something of a problem, due to its elevated location and the high degree of heat to be contendedwith.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a shiftable closure or lid for the upper open end of a loading stack which may be mechanically elevated and transferred from closed to open position and vice versa with- K out the necessity of the operator contacting the lid or using hoisting implements such as are now employed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanically shiftable lid of this character which is adj ustably and rotatably supported on a crankoperated hanger assembly which is pivotally mounted on the stack shell, adjacent the top opening.

A further object of the invention is to provide in conjunction with a mechanically shiftable lid such as above referred to, an improved front wall closure for a loading stack which is designed for easy removal to permit inspection and repair of the stack lining and additionally serves to partially support the lid-actuating assembly.

A still further object of the invention isto provide a lid-shifting assembly which is extremely simple in construction and operation and which may be readily installed in connection with various specific types of loading stacks without the necessity of major alterations.

Still another'object of the invention is to provide a lid-shifting assembly wherein the relation? ship of the lid to the opening of the stack may be adjusted to either extend or restrict the operating flue opening of the stack.

With the aboveand other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designate similar parts through-, out the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a loading stack equipped with my improved closure assem bly, showing a fragment of the furnace proper.

Figure 2 is a view at right angles to Figure 1, taken in the direction of the arrow 2 of the latter.

Figure 3 is asimilar view from the opposite side, taken in the direction of the arrow 3 in Figurel,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail showing the fastening means for the front wall closure of the stack, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the lidsupporting yoke and hanger and its pivotal mounting arrangement.

In the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention embodying a pair of oppositely shiftable lids, 6 represents a vertically extended loadin stacl; supported above one end of the furnace proper 1. As in the case of my co-v pending application previously referred to, the stack 6 is composed of two vertical side walls 8 and 9, joined by a rear wall [0, to form a rigid vertical channel, fixed to the corresponding vertical walls of the furnace shell I by means of flanges or angle irons I I adapted to register with complementary flanges i2 on the furnace shell and removably secured thereto by a series of bolts l3.

The three walls 8, 9, and ill of the stack are lined in the usual manner with a layer of insulating bricl; over which is applied a second layer of suitable fire brick, as generally indicated in dotted lines at M and the top of the stack is partially closed by a horizontal slab or slabs of refractory material l5, As will be seen from Figure 2, the refractory slab i5 is provided with a top opening l6 of a size sufficient to permit the introduction of metal ingots into the stack when charging the furnace.

The front wall closure generally represented by the numeral l1, consists essentially of one or more vertical slabs [8 of fire brick or other refractory material of a combined size sufiicient to completely close the front side of the stack opposite the rear w ll 40, when in abutment with the forward edges of the stack lining |4. The slab or slabs 18 are embraced by a front closure frame which consists of a pair of vertically spaced cross channels l9 and 20, extending horizontally across the front of the slab H3. The opposite extremities of respective channels are provided with angularly offset brackets 2|, arranged to overlie both the adjacent vertical edges of the slab l8 and a corresponding pair of vertical retaining flanges 22 on the stack shell walls 8 and El. Preferably, the vertical edges of the slab are protected by a pair of angle irons 23 which engage the edges of the slab and are interposed between the brackets 2| and the slab, as seen in Figure 4.

The angle irons 23 are preferably fastened to the cross channels I9 and by means of bolts 24 which extend through horizontally elongated slots 25 in the web of the channels so as to allow for lateral adjustment of the slab with respect to the frame when assembled. As seen in Figures 3 and l, the connecting legs of the brackets 2| are parallel with, and spaced outwardly from the respective vertical edges of the slab and the overlying protecting angle irons 23, and are drilled and threaded as at 28 to receive adjusting and retaining bolts 2?, provided with lock nuts 28. The four bolts 21 are screwed inwardly with their inner ends abutting the outer faces of the angle irons and when the proper lateral adjustment ofthe slab with respect to the frame is attained, the lock nuts 28 are set.

The assembled front closure is then secured in place on the stack 8 by bolts 29 which engage registering openings 30 in the brackets 2| and stack shell flanges 22. Preferably, a suitable sealing medium 3| is applied between the inner face of the slab l8 and the abutting areas of the stack lining, as seen in Figure 1.

To facilitate handling in installing and removing the front closure H, the cross channels |il and 2d are preferably provided with hoisting loops 32, welded in place at suitably spaced points.

Coming now to the shiftable lid structure, as previously stated, the preferred form of my invention contemplates the use of a pair of lid shifting assemblies 33 and 34, although with some types of furnaces a single assembly may be employed.

These assemblies are identical in construction and each consists of a yoke 35, preferably formed of channel iron, the opposite right ends or legs 36 of which are vertically disposed in parallel relation as seen in Figure 5. Adjacent the inner face of each leg 36 I provide a clamp shoe 31, adapted to engage the respective longitudinal extremities of a fire brick slab 38 as shown in Figure l, the engaging faces of the clamp shoes being preferably roughened to insure a firm gripping of the ends of the slabs when assembled. The clamp shoes 37 are adjustable and are retained in place by means of adjustment and retaining screws 39 which are inserted in suitable threaded openings in the legs 33 and may be locked to the proper adjustments by lock nuts 40.

A horizontal lid hanger or carriage bar 4|, rotatably supports the yoke by means of a pair of upstanding apertured ears 42. welded or otherwise secured to the web of the yoke channel, in spaced relation to one another, suitable collars 43 being fixed to the bar 4| adjacent the respective ears, to prevent longitudinal shifting of the yoke on the bar. The carriage bar 4| extends longitudinally beyond the extremities of the yoke and its opposite ends are bent at a double right angle, terminating in opposed, inwardly directed trunnions 44 and 45, adapted to rest in complementary U-shaped pivot supports 46 and 41, mounted respectively at the upper ends of the front closure l1 and the rear wall it of the stack shell. The front pivot support 46 is secured to an upstanding flange 48, forming a part of the upper cross channel l9, as seen in Figures 3 and 4, while the rear support 41 is mounted directly on the stack shell ID, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Attached to the rear end of the carriage bar, concentric with the trunnion 45, is a crank arm 49 which is rigidly fixed to the end leg of the bar so as to cause a rotary or pivotal movement of the entire lid assembly about the axis of the trunnions 44 and 45. The vertical end legs of the carriage bar are of sufficient length to permit the horizontal portion of the bar and the rotatably supported yoke and stack lid, to bridge the stack opening H5 and when manipulated by crank 49, to describe an are about the axis of the trunnions 44 and 45, as shown by the arrows in Figure 2. Thus, both of the lids 33 and 34 can be shifted from their innermost positions over the open area lb of the stack, to a position completely removed from said opening and due to the rotatable mounting of the yokes 35 on the carriage bars, the lids maintain a substantially horizontal position throughout this movement, so that they rest flatly upon the upper surface of the stack top, in both open and closed positions.

With a stack such as illustrated, equipped with two oppositely shiftable lids 33 and 34, the respective fulcrum points are located near the opposite lateral limits of the stack opening It so that they may be rocked toward and away from the center of the opening. The size of the lid slabs 38 is such as to leave an open vent space between the two at the central portion of the stack, when the lids are closed and to completely uncover the opening l6 when in their oppositely retracted positions.

The adjustable mounting of the slabs in the yokes 35, permits the slabs to be adjusted both for parallel abutment with the stack top and laterally with respect to one another to govern the size of the vent opening to be maintained between the two when closed. This adjustment is very simply accomplished through the medium of the adjusting bolts 39 and the clamping shoes 31.

It will thus be seen that I have provided an efficient and easily operated closure assembly which will greatly facilitate the charging of melting furnaces and one which due to its simplicity of structure involves a minimum of initial expense and maintenance costs.

From the foregoing, it is believed that my invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a loading stack for melting furnaces, a shifta-ble top closure assembly, comprising a horizontal hanger frame bridging the top of the stack and fulcrumed at aligned points on opposite walls thereof, for shifting movement through a vertical arc, between a first position over the opening of the stack and a second position laterally offset therefrom, a yoke rotatably suspended from said frame, a horizontal lid carried by said yoke, and adapted to cover at least a portion of said opening when the frame is in said first position, and to rest upon the top of said stack to one side of said opening when the frame is in said second position, and manually controlled means for shifting said frame and releasable lid-clamping means on said yoke, whereby the lateral position of said lid with respect to the vertical axis of the stack opening, may be varied to selectively control the size of the area of closure.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said manually controlled means comprises a crank arm, rigidly secured to said frame at the axis of its fulcrum.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said yoke is substantially U-shaped with downwardly directed end legs and includes a pair of opposed clamping shoes adjustably carried by respective legs, for abutment with the longitudinal extremities of the lid and means for adjusting the relative position of the lid with respect to said yoke.

4. In a loading stack for melting furnaces having a central vent opening, a shiftable top closure assembly comprising a pair of lids bridging the top of the stack and respectively fulcrumed on the stack at aligned points laterally offset at opposite ends of the vertical center of the opening, said lids being respectively movable about their fulcrums, toward and away from the vertical center of the stack opening, through vertical arcs, between positions respectively over said opening and laterally offset therefrom, manually controlled means for shifting said lids and means supporting said fulcrumed lids for selective lateral adjustment with respect to the vertical axis of the vent opening, whereby the area of closure may be varied as to size.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said lids are of a size sufficient to cover only the outer longitudinal portions of said opening, and adapted to leave a restricted vent opening between the two, when in closed positions.

6. In a loading stack for melting furnaces having vertical side walls connected by a rear wall, a closure assembly for the front wall and top of the stack, said assembly including a front wall adapted to be removably secured to the adjacent front edges of said side walls, a shiftable lid for the top opening of the stack, fulcrumed jointly between aligned points on the rear wall and front wall, manually controlled means for shifting the lid between closed and open positions, said removable front wall comprising a slab of refractory material, a frame consistin of a pair of vertically spaced cross channels embracing said slab and means for removably securing the opposite ends of said channels to said side walls.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said front closure includes means for laterally adjusting the position of said slab with respect to said frame.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6', wherein the uppermost cross channel is provided with an upstanding flange supporting the adjacent front wall fulcrum of said top closure.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said cross channels are provided with hoisting loops to facilitate installation and removal of said front closure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 132,974 Miles Nov. 12, 1872 1,521,035 Mercer Dec. 30, 1924 2,377,597 Wilson et a1 June 5, 1945 2,386,565 Nissim Oct. 9, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,536 Great Britain 1893 

